Why I Am a Never-Trumper
12/11/25 12:49
There is probably no more divisive a political figure than Donald Trump. For those of us who don’t understand the appeal of Trump, it is inexplicable how people who are apparently pretty reasonable otherwise, seem to look past or are unbothered by his past and present actions.
So, for the record, I will list five reasons why I am a Never-Trumper. I could give a lot more reasons, but these are the top five for now.
John McCain. Look up John McCain’s acts of heroism and it is hard to find many people who deserve more to be considered a true American hero. Yet Donald Trump said he was not a hero and called him a loser. Calling a true American hero a loser is enough for me. I can’t understand how anyone who consider’s him or herself a patriot could get past this.
Access Hollywood. Call me naive, but I think real men protect women rather than prey on them. Yet Donald Trump on video has bragged about sexually molesting women. Would any man (or woman) allow their daughters to be treated in such a way? I certainly would not.
Stiff the Contractors. It’s pretty well known that Donald Trump was known to stiff contractors and pay them less than was agreed upon. He would say take it or leave it, I have really good lawyers. As a person who made a living as an independent contractor, I can’t imagine an ethical businessperson, already with great wealth, who would make himself richer by stiffing hard-working Americans. Some of us apparently believe that’s just good business.
Mock the Disabled. You don’t openly mock the physically disabled. It seems amazing to me that you would even have to say that. No decent person would ever consider doing it. If I were a parent and saw my fourth grader doing it, I would ground them for a week. But Trump openly mocked a reporter with arthogryposis, which affects joint movement. There are some things you don’t do in private, much less in front of a large crowd. It shows a profound lack of character and basic empathy.
Epstein. This one is plainly the most problematic, as there is no public record with proof that Trump participated in sexual relations with underage women. But it seems to strain credulity that he could be best buddies with Epstein for over ten years and at least didn’t know of Epstein’s proclivities and actions. He even hinted at them in an often mentioned quote about Epstein liking women on the young side. While knowing about such activities and actually participating in them are not the same, either requires some level of moral corruptness. It should be mentioned that on the record Trump went unannounced into the dressing room of Miss Teen USA contestants to catch them in various stages of undress. Creepy doesn’t come close to describing such behavior.
It is a profound mystery to me how people can look past these actions. Any one of them would be disqualifying to me as a person worthy of respect or even tolerance. So I am a proud Never-Trumper for these reasons and a whole bunch more. These alone should be enough.
So, for the record, I will list five reasons why I am a Never-Trumper. I could give a lot more reasons, but these are the top five for now.
John McCain. Look up John McCain’s acts of heroism and it is hard to find many people who deserve more to be considered a true American hero. Yet Donald Trump said he was not a hero and called him a loser. Calling a true American hero a loser is enough for me. I can’t understand how anyone who consider’s him or herself a patriot could get past this.
Access Hollywood. Call me naive, but I think real men protect women rather than prey on them. Yet Donald Trump on video has bragged about sexually molesting women. Would any man (or woman) allow their daughters to be treated in such a way? I certainly would not.
Stiff the Contractors. It’s pretty well known that Donald Trump was known to stiff contractors and pay them less than was agreed upon. He would say take it or leave it, I have really good lawyers. As a person who made a living as an independent contractor, I can’t imagine an ethical businessperson, already with great wealth, who would make himself richer by stiffing hard-working Americans. Some of us apparently believe that’s just good business.
Mock the Disabled. You don’t openly mock the physically disabled. It seems amazing to me that you would even have to say that. No decent person would ever consider doing it. If I were a parent and saw my fourth grader doing it, I would ground them for a week. But Trump openly mocked a reporter with arthogryposis, which affects joint movement. There are some things you don’t do in private, much less in front of a large crowd. It shows a profound lack of character and basic empathy.
Epstein. This one is plainly the most problematic, as there is no public record with proof that Trump participated in sexual relations with underage women. But it seems to strain credulity that he could be best buddies with Epstein for over ten years and at least didn’t know of Epstein’s proclivities and actions. He even hinted at them in an often mentioned quote about Epstein liking women on the young side. While knowing about such activities and actually participating in them are not the same, either requires some level of moral corruptness. It should be mentioned that on the record Trump went unannounced into the dressing room of Miss Teen USA contestants to catch them in various stages of undress. Creepy doesn’t come close to describing such behavior.
It is a profound mystery to me how people can look past these actions. Any one of them would be disqualifying to me as a person worthy of respect or even tolerance. So I am a proud Never-Trumper for these reasons and a whole bunch more. These alone should be enough.
I Wrote a Dirty Joke
06/06/19 14:50
I Wrote a Dirty Joke
Many years ago I decided to write a dirty joke. So here it is.
A couple was on a tour of a remote area of Polynesia. They strayed away from their tour group and found themselves in a lost village. There was no one around and they saw a large idol in the middle of the village. Struck by its beauty, they both picked up the idol to get a closer look. Immediately they were surrounded by hundreds of villagers, back from a hunt.
The Chief (or at least he looked like the Chief because he had the most ornate jewelry, and because he called himself the Chief) said to them, “You have despoiled our sacred idol by touching it and you must pay the penalty or die.”
Not keen on dying, the husband said, “We’re sorry we touched your idol. We will pay the penalty.” He was hoping it was something he could put on his American Express.
“Because you have both touched the idol, tonight you must satisfy in the art of love all the adults in the village. Your wife with the men, you with the women.”
They reluctantly agreed and went to their separate huts where they fulfilled their obligations as best they could.
The next morning, the husband, who was very tired, said, “Well, I guess that is settled. We will go now.”
“No,” said the Chief, “You must stay tonight and again pay the penalty.” The husband was going to protest, but reluctantly agreed and again spent the night pleasing the village women.
The next morning the husband, so tired he was barely able to walk, said, “Well, now we must have fulfilled our punishment.”
“No,” said the Chief, “You must stay another night.”
“But you said we could leave after we paid the penalty.”
“Yes,” said the Chief, “But your wife touched the idol two more times.”
Many years ago I decided to write a dirty joke. So here it is.
A couple was on a tour of a remote area of Polynesia. They strayed away from their tour group and found themselves in a lost village. There was no one around and they saw a large idol in the middle of the village. Struck by its beauty, they both picked up the idol to get a closer look. Immediately they were surrounded by hundreds of villagers, back from a hunt.
The Chief (or at least he looked like the Chief because he had the most ornate jewelry, and because he called himself the Chief) said to them, “You have despoiled our sacred idol by touching it and you must pay the penalty or die.”
Not keen on dying, the husband said, “We’re sorry we touched your idol. We will pay the penalty.” He was hoping it was something he could put on his American Express.
“Because you have both touched the idol, tonight you must satisfy in the art of love all the adults in the village. Your wife with the men, you with the women.”
They reluctantly agreed and went to their separate huts where they fulfilled their obligations as best they could.
The next morning, the husband, who was very tired, said, “Well, I guess that is settled. We will go now.”
“No,” said the Chief, “You must stay tonight and again pay the penalty.” The husband was going to protest, but reluctantly agreed and again spent the night pleasing the village women.
The next morning the husband, so tired he was barely able to walk, said, “Well, now we must have fulfilled our punishment.”
“No,” said the Chief, “You must stay another night.”
“But you said we could leave after we paid the penalty.”
“Yes,” said the Chief, “But your wife touched the idol two more times.”
Why I'm a Nerd
22/05/19 13:58
Why I Am a Nerd
A friend of mine asked me why The Avengers was such a big deal. He's not particularly a sci-fi fan (though he is quite knowledgeable about science) and didn't get the appeal for me.
I get the question. Non-nerds often look at nerds with puzzlement. Why would people find entertainment and even fulfillment from watching a movie or TV show with giant fictional reptiles, powered beings, or extraterrestrials with exaggerated dental problems? Doesn't it feel a little, um, juvenile?
Fair question. But like many things in life, different people like different things for different reasons.
An analogy.
There are some people that are sports fans. I don’t completely get it. Sure, watching a game or match can be fun, but it still breaks down to people hitting and ball with a stick then running to pillows before they get caught. Or hitting a tiny ball with a stick to get it into a hole in the ground. But by making it simple, you eliminate the nuance, the skill and, yes, the drama of the event. Sports fans are involved in ways I don't understand.
Most of life is mundane. For many of us, we want life to be, for lack of a better term, more magical. That there is something deeper in existence than meets the eye. There are few genuine magical moments in life and they are fleeting. So we look for the magical where we can find it. For some, it is sports. Or gaming. For others, religion or spirituality. Or even better living through chemistry.
For those of us who life doesn't present enough magical aspects to suit us, we turn to popular culture as one way of fulfilling this desire. We look to worlds with bigger than life heroes. Or aliens. Or ghosts. Or wizards. With them, we find the magic in a fictional life that real life doesn't provide enough of.
Science fiction can also stand up against other genres on its own. A piece of sci-fi or fantasy fiction can be as good a book, tv show or movie with the same humor, emotion, characters and a look at the human condition as “serious” drama. Science fiction and fantasy can be effective metaphors for what is happening in our culture or politics.
And then, for science fiction, there’s the science part. The Martian, in my opinion, is science fiction at its best. A lot of that is because the science is so interesting. Jurassic Park, while stretching some of the science to make cloning possible (plus they got some of the dinosaurs wrong - don't get me started), it did incorporate elements of current genetic research.
The bottom line for me is - if you enjoy something, it moves you or excites you, and gives you a common topic to discuss with friends and even strangers, then go ahead and enjoy it. That others don't get it is just a difference in how people view the world and their place in it. And what they wish the world, or the universe for that matter, would actually be. Bigger than life. More magical.
A friend of mine asked me why The Avengers was such a big deal. He's not particularly a sci-fi fan (though he is quite knowledgeable about science) and didn't get the appeal for me.
I get the question. Non-nerds often look at nerds with puzzlement. Why would people find entertainment and even fulfillment from watching a movie or TV show with giant fictional reptiles, powered beings, or extraterrestrials with exaggerated dental problems? Doesn't it feel a little, um, juvenile?
Fair question. But like many things in life, different people like different things for different reasons.
An analogy.
There are some people that are sports fans. I don’t completely get it. Sure, watching a game or match can be fun, but it still breaks down to people hitting and ball with a stick then running to pillows before they get caught. Or hitting a tiny ball with a stick to get it into a hole in the ground. But by making it simple, you eliminate the nuance, the skill and, yes, the drama of the event. Sports fans are involved in ways I don't understand.
Most of life is mundane. For many of us, we want life to be, for lack of a better term, more magical. That there is something deeper in existence than meets the eye. There are few genuine magical moments in life and they are fleeting. So we look for the magical where we can find it. For some, it is sports. Or gaming. For others, religion or spirituality. Or even better living through chemistry.
For those of us who life doesn't present enough magical aspects to suit us, we turn to popular culture as one way of fulfilling this desire. We look to worlds with bigger than life heroes. Or aliens. Or ghosts. Or wizards. With them, we find the magic in a fictional life that real life doesn't provide enough of.
Science fiction can also stand up against other genres on its own. A piece of sci-fi or fantasy fiction can be as good a book, tv show or movie with the same humor, emotion, characters and a look at the human condition as “serious” drama. Science fiction and fantasy can be effective metaphors for what is happening in our culture or politics.
And then, for science fiction, there’s the science part. The Martian, in my opinion, is science fiction at its best. A lot of that is because the science is so interesting. Jurassic Park, while stretching some of the science to make cloning possible (plus they got some of the dinosaurs wrong - don't get me started), it did incorporate elements of current genetic research.
The bottom line for me is - if you enjoy something, it moves you or excites you, and gives you a common topic to discuss with friends and even strangers, then go ahead and enjoy it. That others don't get it is just a difference in how people view the world and their place in it. And what they wish the world, or the universe for that matter, would actually be. Bigger than life. More magical.
We Need a New Political Label
10/10/18 13:08
We Need a New Political Label
Conservative.
Moderate.
Liberal.
We have these labels to be able to determine someone’s political bent.
Of the three, I think the most misunderstood of these labels is moderate. The common view of the moderate is someone that finds the center on most issues. That we should enact change slowly and carefully, making small changes over time rather than ones that are revolutionary. At best, finding the best of both opposing sides and forming a compromise.
And that certainly can be part of being a moderate. But I want a fourth option. A label for people who think like a liberal on some issues, like a conservative on other issues, and a moderate when it makes sense. We can be just as passionate about these issues, while finding no contradiction in being far right on one issue and far left on the other.
For instance, I am a moderate on gun control. I don’t advocate banning guns but still want to see common sense solutions to gun violence issues. Unstable or violent people don’t get guns. That doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.
But I am a conservative on budget issues. While I don’t claim to fully understand the implications of spending versus growth in an economy, I believe our long-term solvency depends on keeping debt manageable, and with a plan for reducing debt, and subsequent interest payments.
And I am a liberal about environmental concerns. Or gay, women’s and civil rights issues.
I think many of us, even those who proclaim to be a liberal or conservative, are actually this type of moderate. But we don’t have a name for ourselves. So I tried to think one up.
My first thought was swing-winger, but t seemed somewhat suggestive so let that one pass.
Then I thought of Neapolitan, thinking of the ice cream with the three flavors. But unless you say ice cream, you could be talking about someone from Naples. So that’s out.
I finally came up with the term Deliberative. Yeah, it’s not perfect. A little snooty. So I’m still working on the perfect descriptor, but it’ll have to do for now.
We try to take each issue on it’s own merits, with all the selective perceptions and emotional blind spots that everyone has. We’re not special, or necessarily right, but we do look at things differently. Hopefully, we are deliberative.
Conservative.
Moderate.
Liberal.
We have these labels to be able to determine someone’s political bent.
Of the three, I think the most misunderstood of these labels is moderate. The common view of the moderate is someone that finds the center on most issues. That we should enact change slowly and carefully, making small changes over time rather than ones that are revolutionary. At best, finding the best of both opposing sides and forming a compromise.
And that certainly can be part of being a moderate. But I want a fourth option. A label for people who think like a liberal on some issues, like a conservative on other issues, and a moderate when it makes sense. We can be just as passionate about these issues, while finding no contradiction in being far right on one issue and far left on the other.
For instance, I am a moderate on gun control. I don’t advocate banning guns but still want to see common sense solutions to gun violence issues. Unstable or violent people don’t get guns. That doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.
But I am a conservative on budget issues. While I don’t claim to fully understand the implications of spending versus growth in an economy, I believe our long-term solvency depends on keeping debt manageable, and with a plan for reducing debt, and subsequent interest payments.
And I am a liberal about environmental concerns. Or gay, women’s and civil rights issues.
I think many of us, even those who proclaim to be a liberal or conservative, are actually this type of moderate. But we don’t have a name for ourselves. So I tried to think one up.
My first thought was swing-winger, but t seemed somewhat suggestive so let that one pass.
Then I thought of Neapolitan, thinking of the ice cream with the three flavors. But unless you say ice cream, you could be talking about someone from Naples. So that’s out.
I finally came up with the term Deliberative. Yeah, it’s not perfect. A little snooty. So I’m still working on the perfect descriptor, but it’ll have to do for now.
We try to take each issue on it’s own merits, with all the selective perceptions and emotional blind spots that everyone has. We’re not special, or necessarily right, but we do look at things differently. Hopefully, we are deliberative.
